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John Greenwood music book, ca. 1780
Greenwood, John, 1760-1819United States. Continental Army. Massachusetts Regiment, 15th
86596d_JohnGreenwoodMusicBook_uppercover.jpg 9165
1780
New-York Historical Society
Manuscript book of music given to Greenwood by a British fife-major, probably after 1780. According to 'Early American Secular Music and Its European Sources, 15891839: An Index' (http://www.colonialdancing.org/Easmes/Biblio/B018536.htm, viewed August 6, 2012), the music is probably for German flute or violin, and it is a leisure collection for a gentleman and not music for use in the military as some sources suggest. The volume contains 87 numbered leaves. Leaves 18 and 24 are blank, and leaves 76-77 and 82-86 are lacking. Approximately 80 tunes are in the volume as well as biographical and historical notes added to the final leaves in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Fife musicFlute musicViolin musicMusic--United States--18th centuryUnited States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--British forcesUnited States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Songs and music
Musical works Scores Music
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Fife-major, 15th Massachusetts Regiment; he later became a dentist in New York City. Gift of Mary M. Greenwood and Eliza R. Greenwood, Dec. 7, 1942.